Schnauzer Duck
A raw and raucous brotherly reckoning about illness, memory, and a duck that might have been a dog—or just a final act of love
Schnauzer Duck, written by Mexican playwright Saúl Enríquez and translated into English by Mariana Carreño King, is a brutal, funny, and heart-wrenching story of two estranged brothers who reunite under the shadow of a brain tumor diagnosis. Originally titled Pato Shnauzer, this English version was commissioned by The Lark’s Mexico/United States Playwright Exchange and published in collaboration with NoPassport theatre alliance and press in 2018. It brings Enríquez’s voice—bold, lyrical, and emotionally devastating—to English-speaking audiences with all its urgency intact.
Matus, a writer with a tumor pressing against his memories, invites his brother Roque—rude, chaotic, fiercely loyal—on a final trip to the top of a mountain. Their reunion is messy, painful, hilarious, and deeply human. As they drag each other through insults, laughter, regrets, and half-forgotten memories, they resurrect their childhood, confront abandonment, and try—awkwardly, desperately—to say what has never been said.
The writing is sharp and poetic but grounded in everyday language. Enríquez doesn’t romanticize suffering, but he makes it visceral, often absurd, and always tender. The titular Schnauzer Duck—a pet confused in name and species—is both a running joke and a metaphor for misremembered love, for the fragility of connection, and for the stubborn hope that someone will stay, even when everything else falls apart.
This English translation, part of The Lark’s 2018 Mexico/U.S. Playwright Exchange, introduced Enríquez’s work to North American stages and readers, where it has been praised for its dynamic rhythm, emotional truth, and actor-driven potential. The print edition, co-published with NoPassport, marks a significant milestone in contemporary Latin American plays in translation.
Schnauzer Duck, a fierce and moving brother story.
ABRAMOS
EL CANAL
Si deseas conocer más sobre el trabajo de Saúl Enríquez, colaborar en un proyecto o llevar sus obras a escena, puedes ponerte en contacto con él. Estará encantado de compartir ideas y construir nuevas historias.
- hola@saulenriquez.com
- Cancún, Quintana Roo, México
